Positive ruling on factory farms out of Missouri

A judge out of Missouri has ruled that industrial hog farms cannot build their large facilities within 15 miles of historic Arrow Rock. The village is nestled on a 300-acre state park that receives more than 100,000 visitors every year. Department of Natural Resources issued a permit to a hog farmer who wanted to build a 4,800 farm 2-miles from the village and park.

According to the National Water Quality Inventory, 38% of assessed rivers and streams and 30% of assessed lakes, ponds and reservoirs are considered impaired because of agricultural activity. This number could likely be higher, especially since a high percentage of impairment could not be correctly identified. Knowing that nearly 40% of our rivers & streams and 30% of our lakes, ponds and reservoirs are polluted because of agricultural operations, why add to the problem with more factory farms? The above 4,800 pig operation would have generated 2 million gallons of manure annually.

Hopefully, this ruling creates a precedence for other communities trying to stop factory farms. Factory farms ruin rural communities, degrade and pollute our environment, and are pure misery for the animals. And the easiest way to stop their ever-increasing presence is to adopt a plant-based diet, doing our best to purchase produce from sustainable, local farms.

Happy ending, new beginning

A year ago, Animal Place took on a challenge - to help place 100 hens and 30 chicks rescued from a cockfighting breeding operation.

The birds came to the sanctuary parasite-ridden and with respiratory problems. Most survived, some just couldn't overcome their previous mistreatment.

We called on our members, volunteers, friends and family to help. And a year later, we are proud to say that all of the rescued hens and roosters have been placed in permanent, loving homes.

Along with the placement of all the birds comes good news that Louisiana has become the final state to outlaw cockfighting - it is now illegal in all 50 states! The battle isn't over - we want to see all fifty states consider cockfighting a felony, along with being present at a cockfight. We will continue to advocate on behalf of all the farmed animals, including the unfortunate roosters and hens used to fight and breed more fighting animals. Our society must take a stand against animal cruelty - banning all blood-sports is a step in the right direction.

USDA sued over fund misappropriation

The USDA is being sued for illegally allowing the American Egg Board to use $3 million to fight Proposition 2, a California ballot measure that would require pregnant pigs, egg-laying hens, and veal calves have enough room to turn around and stretch their limbs.

The San Francisco Chronicle accepts letters, please submit yours in support of Proposition 2 and in opposition to the outrageous behavior of the USDA in permitting an industry group to use federal funds in swaying governmental policy.

Submit letters to: letters@sfchronicle.com - keep letters under 200 words, include your full name, address and phone number for verification purposes.

The L.A. Times ran a small story about this issue in one of its blogs. The blog accepts comments.

PA residents - help stop shooting of dogs

In Pennsylvania, it is currently legal for kennel and puppy mill operators to kill dogs by gunshot. This is not an appropriate or humane method of euthanasia. Just this past week, 80 seemingly healthy dogs were shot to death by puppy mill owners Ammon and Elmer Zimmerman. The animals were killed after an inspection revealed 39 of the dogs needed simple and affordable medical treatment from flea bites. Instead of seeking medical treatment, rehoming or humane euthanasia, the owners shot all 80 dogs, burying their bodies in the compost pile.

If you are a Pennsylvania resident, contact your representative, encouraging support of House Bill 2525, which would make shooting a dog as a form of euthanasia illegal. Sadly, the bill has met with fierce opposition from breeders who seem more interested in maintaining the status quo (i.e. making money) than the welfare of the animals in their care.

You can find your representative by visiting http://www.house.state.pa.us/index.cfm and inputting your zip code or county in the upper right hand box (Find Members By).

If you are not in Pennsylvania, be sure to write letters to the newspapers and agencies publicizing this story. Pennsylvania legislators should know that they are in the spotlight and need to do something post-haste to make sure this does not happen again in the state.

Feel free to crosspost.

The Unusual Cluckspects need homes!

Three roosters and ten hens – they need new digs and fast! They are on the lam, ready to start a new life somewhere safe. Right now, they are “on probation” at Animal Place (www.animalplace.org) but are looking for that home where they can live a long, peaceful life.

Can YOU give these “unusual cluckspects” a new home?

Available as a group or individually, these birds will provide hours of entertainment, show of their superb weeding and gardening skills, and make wonderful companions to the chicken-loving family. Two of the roosters (Oz and Rufus) get along (if there are enough girls to distract them) but cannot go into homes with other roosters. The third rooster, Calvin, would prefer to be an only rooster.

Of course, what’s more important than getting to know your future feathered friends? Their rap sheets may be a mile long, but they have some skills and personalities any bird-brain would appreciate. Bird brain is a good thing, too.

Information on adoptions is below – won’t you help a rooster brother and hen sister out?

Oz
Charged with: Being a highly effective organic gardening machine.

Needs: A new home (preferably with his girlfriends…), may consider allowing accomplice to tag along (though he did botch that infamous yellowjacket sting operation)

Personal statement: Yo! I’m Oz and if you have bugs that need catching, I’m your man. I I’ll also help you out in the weed-eating department.

Rufus
Charged with: Being an accomplice to Oz.

Needs: A place to relax, sun bathe and a nice spot to munch on grapes and lettuce.

Personal statement: Hey everyone, I’m Rufus and if I could go to school, I’d be too cool for it! I love grapes and lettuce. A lot. I even share with my girl friends, even though I could eat about five million grapes a day. Sometimes Oz steals my grapes but that’s cool, I share.

Calvin
Charged with: Strutting around without a care in the world.

Needs: A place to strut, preferably with a nice garden patch to relax and sunbathe.

Personal statement: I’m quite the ladies man, if I do say so myself; and I do. My ideal life would be spending time with a few friendly hens and being able to walk around looking handsome. I don’t think that’s asking much – do you?

THE GIRLS

Bella, Mabel, Alice, Violet, Sandy, Felicity, Delia, Esther, Scarlet, and Penelope combined have a rap sheet the length of a small football field. And they’re proud of it! All have been charged with liking cantaloupe a little too much, stealing corn from each other, and sometimes hogging the perches.

Personal Statements
Bella
I’m not sure what all the fuss is about. Most of my days are spent preening, making myself look good and spending some quality time with Oz (and Rufus, but that’s a secret!) So what if I “bumped” Sandy off the perch? She wasn’t really using it.



Sandy, Esther & Mabel
Esther : I love cantaloupe. If it was considered okay, I’d marry one. Or at least share my nest with one. Or two, even. I’d really love a place where cantaloupes were given to me 24/7, maybe even more than that (48/12? I’m not so good with time).

If you can open up your barn doors (or backyard gate) to these birds, please contact us at Marji@animalplace.org or 707 449 4814. We do ask you to fill out an adoption questionnaire, which we will gladly email to you. If you are zoned for roosters, please help out Oz, Rufus, and Calvin they are wonderful boys who are looking for the right spot to rest their wings. Not in northern California? We are considering out of the area adoptions, so please don’t let distance deter you.

If you cannot adopt, please spread the word about these wonderful birds.